Wednesday, 30 January 2013

So This is Scrapbooking: Abi

Welcome to this week's edition of So This is Scrapbooking! Today's guest is a young crafter of special talents; and I just know you are going to enjoy her story. When she got in touch to say she had a post to share I couldn't have been more pleased.

I first met Abi, I think, through the Blogging For Scrapbookers class several years ago; and, since then, she has finished her A Levels, taken a GAP year.won herself a place at university - and delighted lots of us with her stories, projects, tutorials and her outlook on life! But let's have Abi tell you a bit more herself...

Abi's Story

So this is scrapbooking.

I am going to put this out there now. I no
longer scrapbook with paper.

This is more a “so this isn’t
scrapbooking!” story. My story with
scrapbooking starts a long time ago though, and although I wouldn’t now
consider it my main craft, it has influenced me a whole lot more than I ever thought
photos and pretty paper could.

I was thirteen when I got my first
scrapbook. It was a Christmas present; a box of paper, an album and my first
digital camera. I was always crafty so I dived straight in. For many years I
made albums documenting life at boarding school. As my confidence grew so did
the quality of my pages. I got my first page published in a magazine when I was
fifteen and man, it made me excited!

It was at this stage that I started hearing
some scrapbooking names. I actually remember seeing a photo of Sian in
Scrapbook Inspirations! I found Shimelle’s blog address in one issue of the
magazine and typed it into google. There it was. The first blog I followed.

Naturally one thing led to another and I
was soon following several blogs, all devoted to scrapbooking. At seventeen I
saw an advert on a scrapbooking site for Shimelle’s blogging class. I had
wanted to start blogging for a while but something held me back. This was the
push I needed.

So scrapbooking led me inadvertently to
blogging. It was around the same time I got my DSLR and the two seemed to go
hand in hand. I connected with like minded people who shared a love of craft
and photos and words.

At the same time as I developed my blog, my
scrapbooking took a downturn. I went through a weird time of following so many
scrapbooking blogs that I couldn’t make a page for want of comparing it with
others. My work just didn’t feel good enough. This also coincided with A levels
and the time left to scrapbook was squeezed out with revision. I hated leaving
a LO half finished on a desk and then return to it a month later at the next
holiday.

Looking back I think I totally lost sight
of the “why” behind scrapbooking. I had got into such a rut that I felt guilty
for not making a layout but then felt lost when I tried to scrapbook.

So I stopped. I gave myself some creative
freedom. I got a sewing machine for my 18th and picked out new
materials. I made my first quilt, then a skirt. I picked up knitting needles
and made a scarf. I played with paint and paper and mini books. I did what
pleased me, not what I thought I was defined by my blog as “a scrapbooker”.
Sure, I started out my blog as that but I was a crafter first and foremost.

Two years down the line and I have dabbled
in scrapbooking again as well as any number of crafts. At the age of twenty I
have realised that I will probably never be a one craft sort of girl. I like
experimenting too much. For this season of life I am happy with that.

I will forever be indebted to scrapbooking
though. If I hadn’t started scrapbooking I would never had put photos with
words. I would never have cooed over patterns and colour or found blogs. If it
wasn’t for scrapbooking my blog wouldn’t exist and nor I think would the number
of photos I take! I would never have found the support network, kind words, and
beautiful sites of so many bloggers who I call friends.

I still follow scrapbooking blogs, I still
ahh over LO’s. But I am happy to be the observer at this stage. I have recently
started a new adventure into Project Life, working with the digital elements
for convenience and costs sake. Project Life is feeling like scrapbooking did
at thirteen; simple photos paired with words. Back to what attracted me to it
in the first place. Do I think I will be doing PL for years to come? Maybe. But
if I don’t I will be ok with that.

In the end it comes full circle; we rejoice
in the glorious, the colourful, the handmade and the every day, the stuff of
life. I don’t think this will change, what craft I express it through though is
a whole different story!

Thank you Abi! Abi studies at the University of Durham and still finds time to blog her projects and her stories at her beautiful blog Creating Paper Dreams. She'd love you to visit, say hello, stay a while...

I've really enjoyed this, Abi, learning about your own journey into and through scrapbooking and crafting. To know and have so much, and so much to share so early in one's life is very humbling for this oldie :).

What a fan post... And I can relate in many ways. It was scrapbooking that bought me back to art and crafting after a break of many years. I don't really do it now but dabble in other stuff, I find I journal now and am experimenting in a kind of project life too, though not daily... More as and when.

Abi, I remember meeting you and your blog in Shimelle's BFS class. I enjoyed this post as much as I enjoy your infectious happy attitude on your own blog. Whether you scrapbook or not, I suspect you will always be crafting. Thanks for sharing your story.

I read this post yesterday and didn't have time to comment, so I'm back today. As a lifetime crafter who has gone from craft-type-to-crafty-type my entire life, I can totally relate to you, Abi. And as someone who is old enough to be your mom, I must say that I am extremely impressed with your talent, your insight, and your sweet demeanor. I can only imagine how proud your own mom must be!

I know you are destined for amazing things in your life, Abi! I loved reading your post here on Sian's blog. xo

Feels like I've watched Abi grow up. It seems strange to know someone and yet not know them at the same time. I have loved joining Abi on her developing style and crafting tales. I do hope you never lose your ability to learn new things,Jo xxx

I love the changing aspects of your blog, Abi - they have all been interesting and it's great to see you tackle new projects - you're always inspiring me! And I also just love to see photos of your life, to know how you're getting on.

You're such a lovely person, so I'll always be reading your blog even if paper scrapbooking is no longer a part of it! x